At last, Stan Wawrinka has won a title in his home country.

In a high-quality and entertaining final, the Swiss star dismissed Croat Marin Cilic 6-4, 7-6(11) on Saturday to win the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. The win gives Wawrinka his third title of the season and his first on clay this year. It also should build the Swiss star’s confidence as he looks to defend his Roland Garros title.

“It’s a dream come true to be able to win a title in Switzerland, after all these tournaments,” Wawrinka said. “To be able to do it here in Geneva, in the event’s second year is something special. The fans were great. They made a lot of noise today.”

The World No. 4 jumped ahead early in the final against Cilic, who was playing for his first title of 2016. Wawrinka broke the World No. 11 to gain a 2-1 lead and later served out the set. The 31 year old didn’t face a break point in the opening set.

In the second, though, Cilic earned the first break to go up 3-1 and consolidated it to lead 4-1. But Wawrinka broke the Croat at 3-5 to get the second set back on serve. The home tournament blasted KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)” after Wawrinka broke back. The Swiss No. 2 then held at love to tie the match at 5-all and later forced a set tie-break.

In the tie-break, Cilic had five set points but lost all five. On Wawrinka’s second match point, Cilic slapped a backhand long to give his opponent the match and the title.

“Marin is a great player,” Wawrinka said. “He really ramped up the pressure toward the end, with those set points, so it was nice to be able to finish off the match.”

Wawrinka had played for the singles title in Gstaad in 2005 and for the doubles title there in 2004 and 2008 but lost all three times. On Saturday, he erased those memories with his first Swiss title. He will receive 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €88,900.

Cilic will receive 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €46,820. The 6’6″ right-hander also heads into Roland Garros with renewed confidence in his game. Geneva was his first clay-court tournament of the season and his first tournament since March because of a right-knee injury.

“It was an amazing week for me and this was something… I was not even expecting,” Cilic said of his run to the final. “I definitely have great enthusiasm now for (Roland Garros).”

Dominic Thiem successfully defended his Open de Nice Cote d’Azur title, overcoming a stern test from #NextGen star Alexander Zverev 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 on Saturday.

Thiem claimed his sixth ATP World Tour title and third in 2016, having lifted the trophy on the clay of Buenos Aires and hard courts of the 500-level event in Acapulco. He is the 10th player to retain a tour-level title this year and the second to do so in the seven-year history of the Nice event. Nicolas Almagro also won back-to-back titles in the French city, in 2011-12.

“It’s been an unbelievably great week,” said Thiem. “The first time I had to defend a title and I made it. Maybe I played better in the three matches before this, but a final is always special. You have so much to win and so much to lose. I played a solid third set and I’m really happy. My arm is a little tired, but I will be ok for Roland Garros on Monday.” 

ATP World Tour Repeat Titlists In 2016

Zverev looked to be in control from the start, earning four break points on Thiem’s serve early in the opening set. The German would convert his fourth with a backhand return winner, streaking to a quick 4-2 lead. But Thiem would clamp down, breaking back for 4-all after an untimely nose bleed forced Zverev to the sidelines for a medical timeout. The German teen double faulted to give the break back and did so once again when facing his first set point. Thiem would reel off six straight games to snatch the opener and grab a quick break in the second set.

But Zverev was not finished just yet. The lead vacillated once again, with the 19 year old breaking back immediately and claiming six of the next seven games to force a decider, as Thiem called for the trainer with an apparent right shoulder injury.

Zverev would fight hard, but it wasn’t enough, as Thiem found a second gear in the decider. The Austrian won 24 of 29 points in the third set to secure the title. He fired five aces and converted six of eight break chances to emerge victorious after one hour and 39 minutes.

Thiem improved to 36-10 in 2016, already equaling his career-best 36 match wins from a year ago. He is just one victory shy of Novak Djokovic’s tour-leading mark. The 22-year-old Austrian takes home €82,450 in prize money and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points.

Appearing in his first ATP World Tour final, Zverev was bidding to become the first teen titlist since Marin Cilic in New Haven 2008 and the youngest winner since Kei Nishikori in Delray Beach, also in 2008. The German #NextGen star, who earns €43,430 and 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points, saved two match points in stunning second seed Gilles Simon in the quarter-finals, before upsetting fifth seed Joao Sousa in the semis. He is the third different teenager to reach a title match on the ATP World Tour this year, joining Borna Coric (Chennai, Marrakech) and Taylor Fritz (Memphis).

“I spent about 12.5 hours on court this week, so I’m a bit tired,” said Zverev. “Against a player like Dominic, who is one of the best clay-court players right now, you have to be at your best to beat him. There’s not a lot of chances. It’s really tough to win when you’re not at 100 per cent.”

Rafael Nadal is seeded fourth this year at Roland Garros and seeking an unprecedented 10^th title here. Although many fans are jumping ahead to a potential blockbuster semi-final between Nadal and No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic, a rematch of their quarter-final last year won by the Serbian, the Spaniard is firmly focused on his opening round against Australian Sam Groth.

“He’s uncomfortable for the first round. He’s a difficult one,” said Nadal of the big-serving Groth. “You need to be ready to suffer a little bit during the match because I know he’s going to be difficult to have breaks against. I hope to be ready to stay focused mentally and to compete well.”

Nadal has come alive during this year’s clay court season. He won back-to-back titles at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo and the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona. Although he lost to Andy Murray and Djokovic at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, respectively, it’s clear his current form will require a top player at their highest level to defeat him.

“I played a few good events in a row, so I hope to continue playing well here,” said Nadal. “My goal is to keep the same way that I’m playing, and if it’s possible, to play even a little better.”

With a 70-2 career record at Roland Garros, it would be hard for Nadal to not have good feelings about the tournament. Beyond the results, Nadal believes everyone who works behind the scenes has helped make the event feel like a second home for him.

“I like the organisation. I feel very comfortable with all the staff here in Roland Garros. I know all the people who run the tournament,” said Nadal. “It feels a little bit like home because I have a great relationship with all of them and that makes the event even more special for me.”